12 
No. 188. 
Polyosma Cunninghamn J. J Bennett 
Feather-wood or Yeralla. 
(Family SAXIFRAGACE^E.) 
Botanical description. Genus, Polyosma, Bijdr., Blume, p. 658 (1825). 
Calyx-tube ovoid, adnatu to the ovary, the limb small, 4-toothd, persistent. 
Petals 4, valvate, linear, erect and frequently cohering in a tube, spreading at the end, deciduous. 
Stamens 4, anthers linear, erect. 
Oeary inferior, one-celled, with numerous ovules attached to two parietal placentas, protruding 
far into the cavity and almost dividing it into two cells. 
Style filiform, with an entire terminal stigma. 
Berry ovoid, inferior, with a single large erect seed ; testa rather thick : embryo small, in the 
summit of a fleshy albumen. 
Trees. 
Leaves opposite or nearly so, usually turning black in drying. 
Flowers white or greenish, in terminal simple racemes. (B.F1. ii, 438.) 
Botanical description. Species, P. Cunninghamii J. J. Benn. PL Jav. Bar. 
196 (1852). 
A tall shrub or small tree, quite glabrous except the inflorescence and flowers. 
Leaves ovate elliptical, acuminate acute or rarely obtuse, 3 to 4 inches long, irregularly notched 
with callous teeth, much narrowed into a short petiole, somewhat coriaceous, penniveined. 
Racemes usually shorter than the leaves. 
Pedicels 1 to 2 lines long, with two minute bracteoles under the ovary. 
Calyx-teeth small. 
Corolla about 5 lines long, slightly pubescent outside with appressed hairs, the petals remaining 
long coherent in a narrow tube. 
fruit ovoid, above |-inch long, crowned by the small persistent cup-shaped calyx-limb. 
(B.F1. ii, 438). 
Three other species have been described from Northern Queensland. 
Botanical Name. Polyosma, from two Greek words, polu (poly} and osme, 
signifying much and perfume, in reference to the flowers ; Cunninghamii, in honour 
of Allan Cunningham, who appears to have been the first to collect it (1818). 
Vernacular Name. I have heard it called "Feather-wood" in southern 
New South Wales, also " Wineberry," but this name is not specially appropriate. 
Aboriginal Name. "Yeralla" of the aborigines of the Illawarra, New 
South Wales, according to the late Sir William Macarthur. " Yerralla " is an earlier 
spelling by the same gentleman. Whether it is the same word as Yaralla 
(Concord), I do not know. 
